Easter Sunday Sermon

EASTER SUNDAY                                   Matt 28:1-10                                             David Eck

4/23/11

I. This morning we heard Matthew's version

---Of the story of Jesus' resurrection

It began with two women:

---Mary Magdalene, the faithful disciple of Jesus,

---And someone referred to as "the other Mary,"

---Who is probably Mary,

---The mother of James and Joseph.  [Mt 27:56, Mk 16:1, Lk 24:10]

These two Marys went to see the tomb.

---'’m sure it was a solemn occasion,

---Filled with sadness and dread.

After all, they had seen Jesus die on the cross

---Three days earlier [Mk 15:40, Lk 23:49]

They had witnessed Joseph of Arimathea

---Wrap his lifeless body in a clean linen cloth

---And place him in a newly hewn rock tomb.

Then Joseph rolled a "great stone"

---Across the entrance of the tomb and went away,

---Leaving the two Marys standing there

---In stunned silence. [Matt 27:57-61, Mk 15:46-47, Lk 23:50-55]

The next day Pontius Pilate ordered

---That a guard of soldiers be placed at the tomb's entrance.

The he ordered that the stone be sealed,

---So that no one could claim 

---That Jesus had risen from the dead [Matt 27:62-66]

I'm certain word of this final insult

---Would have reached the two Marys

---And filled them with great sadness.

Then, on day number three,

---We find the two Marys making their way to the tomb,

---Presumably to anoint Jesus' body with spices  [Lk 24:1]

I'm certain they were wondering

---"What are we going to do about the guards?

How are we going to roll the stone away

---From the entrance of the tomb?

I don't think the guards will let us

---Anywhere near that place.

This may be a pointless journey...

---But what else can we do?

---Our Lord, our Rabbouni, our Teacher, has died 

---And we want to give him a proper burial"

As our story continues, Matthew says

---"Suddenly there was a great earthquake;

---For an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven,

---Came and rolled back the stone and sat on it

His appearance was like lightning,

---And his clothing white as snow.

---For fear of him the guards shook

---And became like dead men."

Can you imagine the sight?

---All obstacles between the two Marys and the tomb

---Were obliterated.

---A massive stone was hurled aside

---With the brush an angel's wing.

---The once impenetrable guard of soldiers

---Were passed out on the ground, motionless,

---Frozen by fear.

Then the angel said to the two Marys

--- "Do not be afraid” [The understatement of all time!]

---"Do not be afraid 

---I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified

---He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said."

Came you imagine what that must have felt like?

---New life had destroyed death.

---Hope had vaporized despair.

All the rules had been rewritten.

---The two Marys would never look at the world

---The same way again...and neither would we.

II.  We tell this Easter narrative time and time again,

---Because we need to hear it time and time again.

Like the two Marys on the way to the tomb,

---Our lives are sometimes filled

---With a sense of sadness and dread.

We feel entombed by fear, anger, doubt,

---Sickness, depression, grief, loneliness

---Or a loss of control over our lives.

We wonder

---Who will roll the stone away for us?

---Who will set us free from our overstressed, overburdened lives?

---It seems like an impossible, overwhelming task.

Who will remove the guards

---We keep at the entrance of our tomb?

---We’ve told them to go away,

---But they just keep standing there

---And show no signs of fatigue.

The power of the Easter story

---Lies in the truth that it is not a one time event.

---Resurrection, forgiveness and new life

---Are ours for the asking

---If we trust that God has the power

---To roll away the stones which entomb our lives.

The Easter story is our story.

---It is a story of a journey

---From death to life

---From despair to hope

---Form sadness to joy

---From dead ends to new beginnings

All of this is possible

---Through the transforming power of God

---Which shakes our lives to the core,

---And rewrites the rule book,

---So that new life and new beginnings

---Are possible again and again and again.

III.  Some people seem to think

---That we gather in this place of worship

---Because God will punish us if we don't do it

Others seem to think

---That we are here so that

---We can feel morally superior to other people

---And look down our noses at them.

Some people seem to think

---That we gather in this place of worship

---To find easy answers to complex problems.

The truth of the matter is this:

---We come to this place because

---Sometimes our lives are a mess.

We are real people with real problems

---Who seek a God who promises us

---That Easter is NOT a one time event that happened long, long ago.

---It is something real and relevant

---That we can experience in our lives, too.

We do not have to remain entombed 

---By fear, anger, doubt,

---Sickness, depression, grief, loneliness

---Or a loss of control over our lives.

We have a Savior who conquered death,

---Whose mighty angel rolled away the stone

---And turned a guard of soldiers

---Into motionless dead men.

This occurred on that first Easter morning

---But it can also occur in our lives as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ

---This is exceedingly good news!

It is the reason why we've dressed up in our finest this morning

It is the reason why the fragrance of Easter lilies fills the air

---And shouts of “Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!"

---Echo throughout this sacred space.

Today we celebrate

---Because death has been vanquished forever.

---The tomb is empty.

---Resurrection and new life.

---Are popping up everywhere around us

Today is a day of hope,

---A day of unshakable optimism,

---A day when we proclaim

---That the stones which entomb our lives

---Will not remain there forever.

The power of the risen Christ

---Is working in us and through us

---To birth something new and wonderful in our midst.

IV.  Matthew Fox in his book "Creativity"

---Echoes this sentiment when we says

---"What is resurrection?

---Resurrection is the rolling away

---Of these boulder-sized obstacles from our hearts and minds

---In order that new life might emerge."

This is the message we take with us

---As we leave this place today.

---"Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!"

---The stone has been rolled away!

---The tomb is empty!

Therefore, we can rejoice 

---Because this same power is available to us,

---Not only on this day but every day of our lives.

God can roll away the stones which entomb our hearts and minds

---In order that new life and new beginnings

---Might emerge once again.

Trust this truth, brothers and sisters in Christ.

---May the Easter message fill us with hope,

---And transform our lives, with the resurrection power

---Of Jesus Christ our Lord       AMEN